Racism cannot be reduced to people's thoughts or motives. Perpetuating a system that benefits wealthy white people at the expense of working class people and people of color is racist regardless of if you have black friends or like black people.

"Gentrification is a process where historically working-class neighborhoods and communities of color are transformed to the benefit of middle- and upper-class people. Gentrification begins with a coalition of landowners, business owners, banks and city planners that strategize to profit off the increase in property values in a neighborhood where they plan to invest. This is often done by creating new upscale real estate and business developments and “cleaning up” a neighborhood by reducing crime through increased police oppression.

"These changes are designed to make an area more attractive to wealthier people who will support high-end business and be able to afford expensive rent. Although the exact form that gentrification takes can vary from place to place, the end result is almost always that the poor lose while the wealthy plunder.” (Kellogg, Pettigrew and Martinez, "Toolbox for Sustainable City Living," 2008).

City Commissioner Spataro, a privileged, white, middle-class man, does not get to decide what is racist. Pretending gentrification is not racist is racist. Deciding to move a desirable component of a historically black and working class neighborhood to a new location for the benefit of an imaginary future wealthy (white) condo-living people and thus, deciding to take from the working class and people of color to give to wealthy white people is racist. Making decisions based on money and profit without regard for the destructive racial and economic consequences for working class communities and communities of color is racist.

If you are not capable of recognizing, understanding, respecting and conversing about the racial and economic consequences of development, you should not be making decisions for anyone, but especially not people of color and working class people who make up the majority of downtown Muskegon.